University of Hawaii football coach Timmy Chang is focusing on a new direction.

Since being hired in January, Chang, a UH alumnus who grew up in Waipio, and his wife and their children have lived at his sister’s house in Ewa, a vacation rental in Honolulu, and at the Waikiki Malia hotel. On Friday, the Changs received the keys to their new house in East Honolulu.

“It’s a bit of a different drive for me,” said Chang, who then smiled and added, “but it doesn’t matter. It’s still dark.”

In the first two weeks of training camp, the UH coaches have arrived on campus before the dawn’s early light. On Friday, the Rainbow Warriors conducted a 31-play, full-contact scrimmage at the Ching Complex. Because injuries and players suffering from flu-like symptoms reduced that practice’s participation, a couple more scrimmage-like sessions will be staged ahead of the Aug. 27 opener against Vanderbilt.

Chang’s staff has incorporated several methods — playbooks, fill-in-the-space drawings, video reviews in the meeting rooms and on tablets and iPhones, and on-field instruction — to teach the offensive and defensive schemes. Chang said most of the “install” has been completed.

“We want their talent to be unbelievable,” Chang said. “We want them to continue to grow with the playbook scheme, and understand what we’re up against, and what we’ll have to face. We always talk about fundamentals and techniques. But they’re coming. They’re a good group of kids, and they play hard for each other, and that’s what we want.”

Choi changing number to honor late coach

In looking ahead, defensive end Andrew Choi decided to honor the past. Choi switched jersey numbers from 59 to 96.

“It’s a good remembrance for my coach,” Choi said of Matt Faga, who died a year ago. Faga was a former UH defensive tackle and high school coach.

“He coached me at Kaiser, and he did a lot of offseason work with me when I was younger,” Choi said. “I trained with him since middle school. He was an early father figure to me. He treated me like I was his own kid. It was a big heartache for me (when Faga died).”

Choi, who is in the top rotation at defensive end, is preparing for another comeback. In 2017, Kaiser’s football season — his senior season — was canceled after one game because of a dispute between a group of parents and the Cougars’ head coach. “After Kaiser, I told myself I was done with football,” Choi recalled.

At the urging of brother Zeno Choi, who was a UH defensive tackle at the time, Andrew Choi tried out for the Warriors. “He’s the reason I’m here today,” Choi said of his elder brother.

In last year’s first week of training camp, Choi fell awkwardly, suffering an injury to his left arm. He was diagnosed with torn triceps. He was medically cleared for the 2021 Hawaii Bowl. But the Warriors withdrew from participating in that game because they did not have enough available players.

Although his arm has completely healed, Choi still wears the brace to provide additional stability.

Frosh wideout WR Hines has speed to burn

Freshman wideout Chuuky Hines already has made a quick impression.

In team testing, Hines’ raced 0.90 seconds in the “flying 10,” which times the final 10 yards of a 40-yard dash. It was the fastest time among Warriors, and it prorated to 22.7 mph.

“As soon as I started football, I ran track, too,” said Hines, who was 6 when he joined organized sports in Texas. “That was my first love.”

At Westfield High in Houston, Hines ran 200 meters in 21.3 seconds and 48.5 seconds in the 400. He was set to commit to a Division II school when he received a football offer from the Warriors. He signed in February.

Hines said his first name is pronounced “choo-key,” and translates to “mountain” in Chuukese, a Malayo-Polynesian language. His mother is Hawaiian and Micronesian; his father is African American. “They met here,” Hines said.

Hines has impressed in training camp. “I keep trying hard so I can make the travel team at the start (of the season),” he said.